Reviews

Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee

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maggie6832's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I didn’t like this book quite as much as the first one, though the ending was very good. My main issue was that we didn’t get Cherie’s/Jedao’s POV for most of the book, which I understand the rationale behind and think it paid off very nicely, but was still frustrating at times to read.

My other main issues were the whole incest bit with Mikodez and Istradez, which felt unnecessary, though I did end up liking Mikodez more than I expected, and Istradez’s sacrifice was rough. I also wasn’t a huge fan of Brezan for most of the book, though again liked him by the end. I enjoyed Khiurev and the slow build of the plot and reveal, and especially the small hints that Cheris was there, and the servitors!! I liked the plot and the fact that Cheris’s work was all to find a way to make the exotic effects voluntary, the commentary on how awful the system is and how many people want to change it but can’t believe in anything better.

bmlowry8's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

antij's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

ghosty773's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

crimsoncor's review against another edition

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5.0

Wonderful middle volume in this trilogy. Builds convincingly off where the first left off, while introducing new plot elements and flashing back to show the world's history.